


The little kid in the woods.

by enigmaticma, topkyungsoo



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragons, Chinese Mythology & Folklore, Dragons, Not Beta Read, Not Really Character Death, Not a Love Story, Not really a romance story, Other, There is Death but no description of it., There is mention of violence but no description of it., This is why no trigger warning works for this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-18 12:29:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28743261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enigmaticma/pseuds/enigmaticma, https://archiveofourown.org/users/topkyungsoo/pseuds/topkyungsoo
Summary: A kid abandoned in the woods awakened the spirits who begged and begged until the Dragon of the mountain decided to take the matter in his hands. The Dragon, however, didn't plan for his heart to be attached.[ For top!soo fest round 4: Dragon AU ]
Relationships: Do Kyungsoo | D.O/Zhang Yi Xing | Lay
Comments: 6
Kudos: 13
Collections: top!soo fest: round 4 (2020-2021)





	The little kid in the woods.

**Author's Note:**

> the major death isn't graphic or violent so I left it at general audience

The Zhang sect in the Hunan area was known to be the most ruthless and unforgiving of all. So when Their disciple, a fifth-degree cousin to the Sect leader, got her son without a marriage, her fate was sealed and she was to either kill the son she had and keep her position as a disciple or she would be shunned and kicked out with the baby.

Heart wrenched, she put it in a basket and left it in the wood. She killed a rabbit, smearing her baby cloth on it, and returned crying. Her sobs lasted an entire week as either she killed her son or not, he was done for.

The baby, however, wasn’t dead. 

His wails had awakened sleeping spirits in the woods. Startled and lost, the spirits reached out for the guardian of the area, a sleeping dragon that rarely cares about the outside world. Their calls barely made him move but it woke him enough to hear the wails and cries of a baby. 

Another abandoned baby. 

“Lead a mother to the baby, mend broken hearts,” his huff let out and the spirits heard. However, before the spirits could find the baby a suitable mother. A wanderer of the wood found the basket and the wailing baby, smiling at the boy’s misfortune before picking him up. 

The man didn’t need a son but kept the baby anyway and the helpless spirits tried to help the best they could. The dragon huffed at their restlessness, listening as they whispered among themselves all over the place. “Poor helpless souls,” The dragon said one night, “this is not the first time humans abandoned a part of themselves. You would have been used to it now.” 

“An innocent soul, he is,” the spirits said, “he would be kind to us.” 

The dragon huffed as he didn’t disagree. “Watch him burn the woods,” he mumbled as he returned to sleep. 

Ten years passed in which every day, the spirits kept on whispering the kid’s whereabouts, especially since the wanderer wasn’t a great father. He left no food and no water. He cleaned nothing. The kid cried many nights from hunger unless the spirits sneaked fruits and helped some vegetables grow. “Please help us,” the spirits pleaded several times, “he is going to die.” 

The dragon, after so long, got fed up with the entire thing. He decided to help the spirits with their quest. He shifted to hunt for the ten years old kid who looked at him, looking and smelling like an abandoned item. “Go wash in the stream,” The dragon said, “I’ll give you food.” 

The kid didn’t say a word as he ran to a puddle and washed his hands. The dragon nearly slapped his head. He held the kid and led him to the small stream. “Wash here,” he said and the kid nodded, washing again. The dragon sighed before making fire. The spirits were surrounding them and he eyed them with frustration as he grilled the food.

Acting like a human wasn’t a hard thing. He did so many times. Raising a kid was something new to him. 

He fed the kid who seemed to be starving, which made him look at the dragon expectantly. “You need to learn how to hunt your food,” The dragon said, “I can’t keep bringing you food.” As the kid remained unresponsive, he went hunting. He fed the kid once a day before realizing a few things.

The kid wasn’t able to talk but could mimic sounds. 

He realized belatedly that the kid didn’t learn speech and his first word was “hunt,” The dragon couldn’t feel even more frustrated but he realized the spirits were right.

No human was that bad. 

He taught the kids speech, how to hunt and even how to wield a sword and fight. He was a guardian and once fought with the humans, in a far time, before isolating himself in the woods. “Say, Master,” the kid asked him, about a year since he started raising the kid, “will I meet my family?” 

“Do you want to find them?” The dragon asked and the kid nodded, “then grow stronger. Be powerful enough to look for them.” 

The kid nodded, determined, and finished his food before going to bed. By the sunset, the dragon leaves him so the kid sleeps to wake up before the sunrise and prepare for the Dragon’s return. The guardian of the woods was glad the human wasn’t aware of his true nature. He didn’t plan to raise the kid for so long but knew as soon as the time would come, the kid would leave. 

And the day came way sooner. 

Before sunrise, a fire spread in the wood before the spirits could wake up the dragon and by the second the dragon stood in front of the small cabin he left the kid in, it was all ashes. 

The devastation he felt was beyond what he expected. The spirits mourned the kid and the dragon was so mad at himself that he sank deeper in his hideout, refusing to hear the outside world. It took them a moment to heal. 

But they healed like the wood healed from that fire. 

Fifteen blissful years helped more trees to grow, more grass to wrap the space and life was back to the woods. The spirits were back to their antics and the dragon heard them whispering again, just no kids. 

No sign of the kid being alive. 

On that night, fifteen years ago, a man found the kid in the house. As the war tore the countries, many sects had to hide and disperse their members, which was why Zhang Bai Xing, the future Sect leader of the Zhang, ran off his house only to find a sleeping kid on the way to his hideout. Knowing fully well that the kid won’t be spared, he picked the silent kid and ran off. The kid didn’t even complain and kept silent as Bai Xing met more family members. “Let us hide,” he said.

“Where did you find this kid?” His wife asked as she inspected the kid, “he looks so dirty.”

“They won’t spare him even if he was, so I saved him,” the man said in a hurry, “now let us leave before they catch us.” The kid said nothing the entire time. He kept his head down, looked at nobody in the eyes, and only used his head to answer the yes or no questions. 

“He should be named after you,” Bai Xing’s wife said, “as you found a son.” The man wasn’t successful in having an heir so the kid was a blessing for them. “Zhang Yixing, how about that?” 

“Such a beautiful name,” Bai Xing commented as he patted on Yixing’s head, “do you like your name?” 

Yixing nodded, obediently. His hair had been styled nicely and he bathed, only to smell like a lotus. He smelt like a lotus from the mere beginning because of the lotuses the spirits who kept gathering around the kid when he was much younger. He gained his “little lotus” nickname from that. 

Yixing may have grown up to be an heir to the sect leader of Zhang but he knew he wasn’t their son. Most of the sect died and the world believed that The Sect leader indeed had a son but even if they knew the truth, nobody could defy them. Who would rule the sect anyway? 

“Little lotus,” the call made Yixing look at his mother who approached him with food, “you were studying these papers for hours, a break would do you good.” 

“Thank you, Mother,” he said bowing to her. 

She smiled and sat down when a ruckus made them look at the door. Yixing stopped his mother from leaving the room and picked his sword as he rushed out to check. There was a female disciple, holding another injured disciple, looking at everybody with rage. “You abandoned us and now you refused to let us in,” She yelled, “what kind of heartless sect are you? If this is what means to be a Zhang, then I shall leave.” 

“Wait,” Yixing ordered firmly but softly before bowing to the women. “I am sorry for their roughness, The war left bitterness in their soul. Please follow me,” he said and the woman looked at him warily while the injured one nodded. 

They were led to another study room, where the injured was laid on a futon. Yixing barely looked at the disciple who nodded and left to bring a medic before he sat in front of them. 

“Please forgive my insolence but I would like to know what happened?” He asked and observed them.

“She was forced to abandon her son in the woods, twenty-five years ago,” the woman spoke rather sadly, “As we escaped, a wanderer said he had a kid he found and raised in the woods but lost during the fire and we spent the past years looking for him.” 

Yixing smiled softly. He could still remember the man of heart-shaped lips and sharp wide eyes who taught him how to hunt, how to wield a sword and how to survive. He eyed the sleeping woman, feeling sorry for her instead of being mad at her for abandoning him. He lived a peculiar life. 

“May I stay with her alone?” He requested as the medics treated the sleeping woman’s wounds. His father and mother got in too, to check on the disciples who showed up. The woman was unconscious but Yixing requested that again. 

Both of his foster parents knew why the second he looked at them so they asked the people out. Yixing held her calloused hand and he smiled.

“Mother,” he said, “The wood took good care of me and now I found parents willing to keep me as their son. Just get well and be well, I am not blaming you for leaving me alone.” 

The woman seemed conscious enough to start sobbing. “My baby,” she whimpered, holding her tummy, “I am a bad mother. I am sorry.” 

He leaned to kiss her head. “Don’t be, I understand,” He patted on it, “A man told me if I was a strong man, I could look for my family but you found me first. I guess it makes you stronger.” 

“My baby,” she sobbed and Yixing smiled standing to leave the room. He found them waiting. 

Bai Xing and his wife approached Yixing and he smiled reassuringly before holding their hands. “Let us retire for the night,” he offered them.

“Have a blissful night, son” Bai Xing said, patting Yixing’s shoulder.

Yixing didn’t push the subject further, even when the woman healed and joined the forces. Nobody knew what happened that night when he remained with her but somehow Yixing looked and sounded happier. 

“Father,” Yixing approached Bai Xing during the spring festival, “I’d like to add a tradition to our festivity.” 

“A tradition?” the old man looked confused. 

“I would like to add planting trees in the wood every spring as a tradition,” He said looking at the distant mountain, “It is where I grew up after all.” 

Bai Xing stood by his side and looked at the distance like his son did. His expression held a heaviness that nearly matched the longing in Yixing’s heart. “You didn’t go there in fifteen years, son,” he commented eventually, “why now?” 

“I never forgot where I come from, father,” Yixing admitted, “I just wanted to be stronger before I look for my family in the woods.” Yixing noticed the look of worry on his father’s eyes and he smiled as he looked back to the mountain. “The forest took care of me, fed me, taught me to hunt and speak and made me who I am, the little lotus. It is family to me.” 

The man nodded, understanding that it was true. No kid would have survived in the woods if it didn’t take care of him. “If planting trees is your wish,” He eventually said, “We shall do as much.” 

The spring festival lasted a week and Yixing picked the first day to be the planting day. Everyone in the Zhang sect planted a tree, apologizing to the burned ones and thanking them for protecting them during the war. Yixing eventually reached where Bai Xing found him. The small cabin was ashes but he still smiled toward it. 

“Did you miss me?” He asked the trees, “I survived you, master! I survived and became strong. Just like you told me.” The words echoed and the spirits were startled by them. Yixing felt an ache in his chest as he had no answer. “You told me if I became strong enough I can find my family so I grew strong and you are not here, Master. Where are you?” 

He was gladly alone or they would have thought he lost his mind as he started crying. 

“I missed you, Master,” he sobbed, “why don’t you show up? Am I not strong enough?” 

The spirits suddenly grew agitated and Yixing looked around in surprise, hiccuping. He felt the wind caress his cheeks and whispers reaching his ears.

“Our kid is back, our kid is alive,” it said. 

Yixing nodded mid sobbing mid laughing. “I am alive,” he said, “I brought you trees.” He picked one pot and lifted it, “I’ll fill the forest with new trees.” 

The forest suddenly came to life, warmth and joy filled his lungs at every breath and it only grew stronger as he planted the twenty plants he brought. “I hope the Master will be happy,” he commented louder. 

Meanwhile, the agitation grew so loud that the dragon heard a whisper of it. “He is alive,” it said and he frowned. He was about to ignore it when more whispers of the human bringing trees and making other humans plant trees in their beloved home could be heard and he snapped up. 

Did the kid really survive? 

He shifted to check, walking out of his hideout to see indeed countless of humans planting trees, bowing and going on their way. It was shocking, to say the least. “Our Kid is alive,” the spirits screamed in the wind, “Our kid is back.” 

“I shall know if it is true,” He rumbled before jumping off the cliff he was standing on. The humans didn’t seem to notice him so he dodged it and went to the cabin’s location, finding twenty trees and a plate of fruits and dried fish. “Interesting,” the dragon said.

“He left Master an offering,” the spirits said.

The dragon could feel his heart leap to his throat at the mention of the master. It wasn’t enough proof but he could stop the hope from wrapping his mind. He was tempted to follow the humans but instead went home. If the kid was alive indeed, he would be back. 

He returned to the cabin by the sunrise, waiting for a sign for the kid’s return.

He didn’t expect to see a young man, one of the most beautiful men he had seen, walk closer with a woman behind him. They were carrying empty vases and froze at the sight of him. “Master?” The young man asked, “is that you?” 

The dragon looked at the man and frowned, “how long had it been for you to grow so much?” 

The man shed tears and approached him before kneeling in front of him. “I wanted to be strong enough to find you, Master. Fifteen years passed since the fire,” the young man said, “My name is Yixing now, Master. I found a family.” 

Kyungsoo held Yixing’s cheek and smiled, the heart-shaped smile Yixing grew used to, and said, “you indeed grew stronger than how I left you. It’s a relief you survived the fire, Yixing. The spirits of the woods and I mourned you the entire time.” 

“I am sorry, master,” Yixing bowed further as he said, “I wasn’t aware you thought me dead.” 

The dragon patted his head and looked at the woman who stood there confused. “Who is this woman?” 

“She left her baby in the woods,” Yixing told him before whispering, “and I think it is me.” 

The dragon looked at her, “no human kid was abandoned in our woods before and after my disciple, so you shall be assured we took good care of him,” he said and she let go of the copper vase, gasping and holding her mouth from letting sobs out. She looked at Yixing who smiled at her as he stood and approached her. 

“I am doing well,” he said to her, “so please be well, live well, and don’t hold pain.” 

“I didn’t want to let you go,” she whimpered as she held him, holding his cheeks and crying as she observed him, “they told me to kill you or leave with you and I couldn’t live without my sect so I left you in the woods, praying someone would find you and take care of you.” 

“And we did,” The dragon said, “I fed him, trained him, taught him speech and manners, and the spirits of this wood kept him safe and well-tended.”

The woman bowed to him, tears falling from eyes endlessly. “I’m forever indebted to you and the woods. I shall protect this place until my last breath,” she swore.

The dragon chuckled and stood before bowing slightly, “I am the Doh, the dragon who protects this forest,” he introduced himself and Yixing eyed him with complete awe while the woman paled and held Yixing, alerted. Doh didn’t seem to care about her wariness. “I am quite touched by your promise of loyalty, My lady. The forest deserves it after all the trouble it took to wake me up and make me raise your son,” he said with a teasing tone as a sudden agitation filled the air, which made Yixing chuckle touching a nearby tree. “Oh! hush you,” Doh said looking at the trees. “I may be rusty but I still am well versed in human sarcasm.” 

“You are,” Yixing commented. “I heard of you, Master. In the books, there were stories of a legendary dragon who fought wars to protect the forest and the mountain, but I heard you were called Kyungsoo, the general Dragon.” 

“A mere name that was given to me by humans,” Doh commented as he bowed again. “I’ll leave you; have a wonderful spring festival, humans. Farewell.”

Yixing rushed to the dragon and held his hand, worried. “Can I come to see you?” he asked worriedly.

“Let the spirits know,” simply answered the dragon before he walked deeper in the woods. 

Yixing had never been so happy in his life and even when the woman tried to reclaim him and he shut her down, it didn’t deem his happiness a single bit. He was honoured to be the disciple of the mighty dragon of the woods. It was also that the master’s touch lingered in his cheek for days, giving him warm dreams and beautiful feelings.

He was busy with his duties in the Clan but he managed to escape after the sunrise, once a week, to wait for Doh to show up. He asked the spirits to let him know he was passing by but Doh didn’t show up the entire spring and by the summer, Bai Xing’s health suddenly worsened. 

Yixing was registered as his son so he ruled after him. It took most of his time. “Yixing,” his father approached him during dinner and said, “I want you to consider having an heir.” Yixing didn’t argue and the old man added, “I wish to see you happy with a family of your own, son.”

It made Yixing look at the further mountain, his heart longing for a family he left behind. “I am considering it, father. Please let me know if you have any suitable wife for me.” 

The man was so happy he made Yixing meet five women, which none were of Yixing’s taste, so he told his father that he would marry the woman he would choose. It worried Bai-Xing and his wife greatly so, at dinner, they asked him. “Won’t you like to marry the person your heart wanted?” 

“I would be perhaps too old to raise kids when I meet that person, so please don’t worry. I prefer to find peace when I go home.” Yixing realized how heartbroken he was when he went to bed that night. He had waited for Doh to show up but failed to see the object of his affection and devotion.

He hadn’t forgotten about him even when he got married a year later. He visited the woods, on his groom’s attire, tearing up, and held a tree. “Does he hate me now? Is it why he refused to see me?” 

“You look marvellous,” The dragon said behind him and Yixing jolted before turning to face the man. “I’ve seen you and heard you, young man. I made the choice not to face you, just yet.” 

“Why?” 

The dragon fixed Yixing’s attire before holding his shoulders. “Go back to your bride and fulfil your duty toward your new family, kid. You make me proud.” 

Yixing felt happy to hear he made the dragon proud but an ache in his heart refused to ease. 

It felt like a farewell. 

“Will I see you again?” He asked only to receive a smile. The dragon stepped back, still looking at Yixing until he suddenly jumped, shifting mid-air, and flew away. 

It was the first and the last time Yixing had ever seen him on his dragon form, or ever. He waited and waited, as a year turned to a decade and as a decade turned into three. He waited until he knew his days were counted and he left his position as a sect leader to his son. “Father, why do you want to leave the sect for seclusion in the woods?” 

“It is time I return home, son,” Yixing simply said. He had built a small house in the middle of the woods, where he waited yet again for the dragon to return. He whispered to the spirits, praying, that his voice would be heard. “Let me see you, just one more time,” he had said and yet, the dragon didn’t show up.

Until the day he could feel his health give in and he knew it wouldn’t make it for another morning, he prayed. 

Doh had heard his prayers but he knew the pain would come ages ago. “This is why I don’t like to attach myself to humans,” he said to the spirits who kept on relying on Yixing's messages. “There will come a day when I’ll miss our kid but I won’t be able to see him again. I mourned him once and I refuse to do that again.”

“Isn’t it too late?” The spirits asked and he kept his mouth shut. 

He knew his answer would be, “Yes, it is.” However, this time, he visited Yixing in the morning. Finding the lifeless yet peaceful body of the human brought solace to his soul as he could see that Yixing had lived a good life. He carried the man and flew him back to his sect, setting him down in the middle of the garden where every flower bloomed before he flew back as soon as he heard voices shouting at him.

He couldn’t bear to bury Yixing himself so the thought that the humans would honour his beloved Yixing was the only thing that made his seclusion bearable. 


End file.
